SPME BDS Monitor: Anti-Israel Activity Increases on Campus

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A pro-BDS demonstration. Photo: FOA / Facebook.

The BDS movement advanced nationally in November, with anti-Israel legislation introduced in the US Congress. The results of such resolutions on campus, however, were mixed — suggesting that persistence and outside help are critical to the progress of BDS. The role of faculty members and outside forces advancing BDS was also demonstrated when the conspiracy to take over the American Studies Association was revealed in an unfolding lawsuit. A critical lesson is that BDS is not a grassroots movement, but rather a Palestinian-Muslim Brotherhood-far left project aimed at Israel and the West as a whole.

In the political sphere, new legislation introduced in Congress seeks to “prevent United States tax dollars from supporting the Israeli military’s ongoing detention and mistreatment of Palestinian children.” Sponsored by Representative Betty McCollum (D-MN) and nine other members of the Democratic progressive caucus, the legislation alleges pervasive abuse of Palestinian children. But this allegation has been shown to originate with a number of BDS organizations, including the Palestinian chapter of Defense of Children International (DCI-P), which is linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The legislation was also endorsed by leading BDS groups, including Jewish Voice for Peace, the American Friends Service Committee and the Center for Constitutional Rights. Earlier this year, the United Church of Christ and the Disciples of Christ also passed anti-Israel resolutions based on DCI-P’s allegations.

The legislation is significant for several reasons, not least its direct connection to a terrorist organization. The bill demonstrates again that Palestinian factions within the PLO help orchestrate global BDS activities, but — more importantly — that these narratives continue to gain support in far-left political circles. McCollum and her cosponsors have a long track record of anti-Israel activity. She has also been endorsed by J Street, which continues to raise money for her.

November was also an important month for BDS resolutions in academia. At the University of Michigan, a watered down BDS resolution was passed after hours of contentious debate, which included antisemitism, catcalling and other forms of harassment. The resolution was the 11th attempt by BDS supporters to force the university to divest from Israel.

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The bill itself called on the university regents to form a committee to investigate divestment from Israel rather than to demand divestment. In this manner, the resolution’s supporters cast the bill as a procedural issue that was not about Israel, implausibly claiming that it was not a BDS resolution and didn’t share the goals of the BDS movement. Despite the bill’s passage, a spokesman announced that the university would not be divesting from Israel.

In contrast, at the University of Maryland, after two hours of debate, the student affairs committee charged with analyzing a BDS resolution recommended against it being brought to the full student government — much to the chagrin of supporters. Faculty and elected officials also expressed opposition to the resolution. A BDS resolution was also defeated at the University of Ottawa.

The Michigan and Maryland contrasts are instructive. In both cases, Arab and Muslim students took the lead, drawing heavily on far left allies and the rhetoric of oppression. In the Michigan case, the role of JVP appears to have been significant in convincing students of a “Jewish” case for BDS. The antisemitic rhetoric and behavior at the University of Michigan, including overt harassment, was also standard. Perhaps most significant is the importance of sheer persistence in finally forcing a BDS resolution to pass. But given the normal dynamics of student activity groups, where leaders and members turn over regularly, pressing a single issue on campus over a period of years is likely attributed to a high level of outside guidance.

In other campus news, the president of Rutgers University bizarrely claimed that drawing swastikas on university buildings is a form of free speech protected by the First Amendment. He then defended three antisemitic professors, including a former diplomat for the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, who alleged that Israelis stole organs of dead Palestinians — a story first broken by The Algemeiner. The Rutgers president called the former Assad spokesman a “well-respected scholar.” His position was severely criticized by Jewish and other sources.

Harassment and protests against Israeli, Jewish and Palestinian speakers opposed to BDS also continued in November. At the University of Illinois at Champagne-Urbana, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) protestors shouted down Hen Mazzig, a former Israeli soldier who is also openly gay. SJP members also shouted down a presentation by conservative firebrand David Horowitz at the University of Houston. The appearance of Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely at Princeton’s Hillel was canceled after protests from JVP and other groups; Hillel leaders later apologized. And Palestinian human rights campaigner Bassam Eid was almost assaulted during an appearance at a New York synagogue.

In an especially perverse example of anti-Israel provocation, BDS supporter and far left icon Linda Sarsour was invited, along with JVP head Rebecca Vilkomerson, to highlight a panel on antisemitism at The New School. The event was described as follows: “Antisemitism is harmful and real. But when Antisemitism is redefined as criticism of Israel, critics of Israeli policy become accused and targeted more than the growing far-right. Join us for a discussion on how to combat Antisemitism today.”

Normalizing anti-Zionism by co-opting debates over antisemitism is an especially insidious tactic by BDS supporters — themselves antisemites who deny Jews rights to national identity and sovereignty — to control the narrative. Their growing domination of events and media presence, is notable. So, too, are incidents where JVP harasses Jewish institutions and disrupts Israel-related events, using its putative “Jewishness” as cover.

Elsewhere in academia, new evidence has emerged regarding the organized takeover of academic organizations by the BDS movement. A lawsuit against the American Studies Association (ASA) has revealed that members of the U.S. Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (USACBI) conducted an operation to take over the organization, by taking over the leadership. Participants concealed their plans regarding BDS, and then manipulated the organization’s voting procedures to ensure the passage of a BDS resolution. Similar methods by PACBI members likely bolstered the BDS movement at other organizations, such as the American Anthropological Association and the Middle East Studies Association.

In the international sphere, concerns continue to rise regarding the United Nations Human Rights Council blacklist of Israeli and other firms doing business in communities across the Green Line. Reports indicate that the US and Israel are using all diplomatic methods to prevent the list from being published. Though non-binding, the resolution would cast a pall over doing business in Israel, and would be used as the basis for international lawsuits. It remains unclear whether publication of the list would finally prompt the US to leave the council.

British singer Morrissey also vocally condemned the BDS movement, calling it “absurd,” and attributing hatred of Israel to jealousy. Morrissey has also included several songs praising Israel on his latest album. These developments suggest that bullying of artists by “establishment” BDS figures such as Waters may be backfiring.

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